Former Vikings Captain Jack Brewer Highlights Somali Community Fraud Concerns in Minnesota
Jack Brewer, former Minnesota Vikings captain and University of Minnesota alumnus, has raised concerns about alleged fraudulent activities linked to the Somali community in Minnesota. Brewer reports witnessing high-end Somali businesses, including Bentley and Maserati dealerships, associated with fraud allegations amid a broader scandal involving billions of taxpayer dollars allegedly fraudulently distributed through Somali networks.
He references a 2023 investigation by Ryan Thorpe and Christopher Rufo, which detailed funds sent to Somalia with potential access by the extremist group Al-Shabab. Brewer connects these issues to a demographic and cultural shift in Minnesota that has seen the Somali community grow and gain political influence since the 1990s. He cites Somali politicians in Minnesota such as Ilhan Omar, Omar Fateh, Zaynab Mohamed, and Nadia Mohamed as examples of this influence.
Demographic data shows the Somali population in Minnesota historically estimated at about 15,000, with 5,123 Minnesota students speaking Somali at home in 2002. Economic data indicates that approximately 36% of Somali Minnesotans lived below the poverty line during 2019–2023, with a median household income around $43,600.
In response to these developments, Brewer calls for drastic immigration measures including a freeze on immigration and the removal of foreign terrorists, advocating for a coordinated multi-agency national response. He also states that he has moved assets out of Minnesota and reduced his investments in the state following events after George Floyd.
Brewer’s wife is a Muslim American immigrant, adding personal context to his observations about the Somali community in Minnesota.
